Raw Cashew Dip - Vegan and Gluten-Free

Party worthy. Crisp fresh veggies and cashew dip.

Go Raw for a Creamy Dip

I've been eating hummus all week. Help. I can't stop. It all started when I whipped up a big batch of my tried and true favorite, a classic chick pea hummus recipe with tahini and lemon (though in full disclosure, I used lime juice instead of lemon). I munched it as a party worthy snack, with retro bunny carrot sticks as we rewatched some Mad Men episodes in anticipation of the coming season this Spring (sophisticated serial television that just keeps getting better and better, does it not?). Mad Men is a show with keen originality, surprises, and rare insights into sexual politics, power, culture, and marriage- not only enlightening those of us who lived through the sixties (I was- er, am- exactly Sally Draper's age, so many aspects of the show are akin to watching home movies), but connecting the dots that birthed our current consumer pop culture, in all its tarnished glitz and narcissistic glory.

Then I nestled dollops of the stuff on warm and comforting bowls of brown rice and stir-fried vegetables (recovering from said cultural insights, and newly minted wife-slash-copyrighter Megan's saucy rendition of Zou Bisou Bisou).

I ate and I ate.

And then there was no more. I was hummus-less. Without hummus. Bereft. An empty fragile goddess sans my favorite vegan protein complement.

So I began to scheme.

I pined for the opportunity to blog another hummus recipe, but I'd already shared not only my classic style hummus, but my irreverent upstart hummus with jalapenos, lime and peanut butter (which apparently, on some vegetarian forum raised an anti-goddess ruckus). Not to mention, my roasted red pepper hummus, perfect for 'Party On' mode (I hear tell there's a Big Game approaching).

My thoughts did a shuffle play through new and cool possibilities.

And I remembered my raw cashew cream recipe. Why not make it thicker? Why not make it into a hummus style dip? So I did the sensible thing. I soaked some cashews. And guess what?

Raw vegan deliciousness ensued.

Bisou. Bisou.


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Warm Winter Salad with Roasted Banana Squash and New Potatoes

Roasted fingerlings, new potatoes and winter squash on baby salad greens.

After a long and restless night I am pondering potato salad and glitter. Sleep deprivation may be less than pleasant but it often breaks loose the inertia of stalled imagination (who among us has the power of will to maintain the status quo of the literal linear world after a scant teaspoon of sleep?). In my experience it is not prudent to ignore gifts of associative flight and whimsy. If one begins threading fingerling potatoes with the sequins of burlesque I say, go for it. 

You never know when such a spinning, sparkling muse will visit again.

It all started with a documentary (on Showtime last night) about the seventies balladeer Paul Williams- a touching story of fame, hunger, redemption and purpose (titled Paul Williams Still Alive because the documentarian had assumed he was dead) that- almost by accident- reveals Paul's award-garnering talent for writing sweet and soulful songs was never balm enough for his childhood wounds. Like so many artists snagged in the media-fueled web of fame + addiction, Paul's appetite for approval trumped all (imagine the tune-smith who wrote Rainbow Connection in an absurdly surreal TV shoot out with sexy Police Woman, Angie Dickinson). Until he got sober. 

And redefined success on his own terms.

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Savory Gluten-Free Scones with Olives and Rosemary

Gluten-free scones with olives and rosemary. A savory winter treat.

One of my holiday surprises was this nifty cast iron cornbread pan. This week I put it to good use. To celebrate the recent return of Downton Abbey, you see (season two has begun, and promises to be as riveting as the first). Scones somehow seemed more appropriate than cornbread. Though these scones would most certainly not pass muster with Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. She would be- most assuredly- appalled. And raise an elegantly arching, ironic eyebrow in utter disdain. Gluten-free? Who ever heard of such a thing? It is as suspect and deserving of mockery as electricity.

Or weekends.

Who is your favorite Downton Abbey character?

I honestly cannot decide (though I may have inadvertently revealed some vaporous hint of favoritism). I love them all with a devoted heart. The cast, the superb writing, the stunning photography, the lustrous set design is all beyond delicious.

But if you, darling, cherish a favorite Lady, attorney or housemaid, or if you blush and inhale when the honorable Mr. Bates makes an appearance, please do share. We'd love to relish every detail along with you.

Make your case.

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Gluten-Free Orange Scented Irish Soda Bread

Good morning! Gluten-free orange scented Irish soda bread.

Mid January confession (now that we're half way to February and red hearts are sprouting up around chocolate displays in our local market). Valentine's Day looms. And yes, I use the word looms. Rather than a more enthusiastic awaits. Or glimmers. As in, I haven't been that into Valentine's Day lately. Not that I have anything against love. Or chocolate. Or roses. That would make me rather icy. A stone cold cynic. The prickly sort who kicks away puppies. Or grimaces at kittens and babies. Don't worry.

I don't indulge in any such blasphemy.

I still believe in love.

And though I may be, shall we say, a tad older than the estrogen-fueled ovulating audience targeted for Valentine's Day, I am not cantankerous. Nor am I without sympathy.

It's just that I find the accoutrements to our consumerist version of love rather ridiculous. All that red lace. Glitter lipsticks. And goddess forbid.

Thongs.

Never buy a piece of clothing that requires you to shave.

Everything.

I personally prefer a little mystery in my romance. Leaving something to the imagination. But then, I am a child of the long-haired free love sixties. Pre-porn aesthetic. We didn't fear body hair.

Last year we stayed home and ate baked mac and cheese for our dinner 'o love. And settled in with a Mad Men DVD. No red silk in sight. No high heels. Not exactly glamorous. But then, you know us artists. We have paint under our fingernails. We have more books than lipsticks. We are curling iron challenged.

I've never been into the whole glossy, magazine style glamor. I am more into comfort (and warmth- after all, it is winter!). I'm not a party girl. I'd rather be home. In my flannel PJ's.

Baking a soda bread.

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Mulligatawny Detox Soup -Thanksgiving-Free Goddess Style

Need to detox for the New Year? Make some mulligatawny soup.

Did you over indulge (just a little)? Are you craving something fresh and light and nourishing? Or simply feeling a tad under the weather with the mid-January blues? Don't worry, Darling. I've got a body and soul soothing cure.

Mulligatawny detox soup.

It's chock full of antioxidant vegetable goodness with detoxing spices to boot. Cook it on the stove top or in a Crock Pot and let it simmer for the afternoon, filling your kitchen with a comforting aroma that feels like one big hug.

Mulligatawny is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. But this version is not the traditional mulligatawny recipe with chicken. Nope. It's meat-free and dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free. The spices help promote detoxing and healing.

But best of all? You won't feel deprived doing what's good for your body. This mulligatawny is a mouth crush of flavors sweet and savory, creamy, spicy and tangy- all at once. A gluten-free diet never tasted so good.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup, as cayenne pepper packs some heat.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons organic agave nectar*

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions:

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Options:

If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving.

If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire.

It is also beautiful left as is, as a hearty, chunky stew.

Note* I used to use organic brown rice syrup, but with the latest news about arsenic in brown rice syrup, I now use organic agave nectar or honey.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe Source: thanksgivingrecipes-1st.blogspot.com

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Gluten-Free Baked Stuffed Shells

Italian Dreams

There isn't a speck of Italian blood in me. Allegedly. No blood lines (even faint ones) to trace back to Italy's flavor and culture rich boot. I claim no Italian grandmother with deft, gnarled hands who could roll out ravioli dough in her sleep. No puttering, gardening grandfather who offered me my first taste of a sun warmed tomato straight off the string-tied vine. We didn't have lasagna on our Thanksgiving table. Or baked ziti. My mother never mixed me an almond infused Italian soda after a rough day at school.

So why is Italian food- forever, for me- the ultimate comfort food? Hungry, angry, lonely, tired- what do I crave? (Besides a bottle of wine? Darling those days are gone.)

Spaghetti slick with garlicky olive oil. Bubbling hot lasagna. Fresh baked focaccia. Bruschetta. Risotto. Baked stuffed shells.

All heaven.

The tough part is- living gluten-free AND dairy-free can seriously crush your Italian gilded comfort food dreams.

Back in the day, there were no gluten-free lasagna noodles or stuff-able GF pasta shells (not in my neck of the woods, anyway). Though times have changed, pasta-wise- thank goddess. Most supermarkets now carry gluten-free pasta in all shapes and sizes. And if you cook it just right (in salted water, till al dente) and immediately drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil- most of it tastes mighty good. And if you are among the agriculturally evolved among us who can digest milk, your cheesy world still glitters with buttery glory (cream, butter, and cheese go a long way to improving the flavor of gluten-free recipes, let's be honest). But.

If- like yours truly- you have to live without the salty flavor punch of Parmesan or creamy tang of fresh goat cheese, comfort food can turn into one big, ho-hum yawn. Vegan cheese is no substitute (yes, I've tried them all). Unless your concept of cheese involves an aerosol can, plastic-shiny slices in peel-away shrink-wrap or orange powder you added to hot milk (no offense to corporate giant produced fake foods, or anything). In that case, processed oil with pea protein vegan cheese might remind you of something seemingly related to the cheese family.

I can't get past the funky sock odor and poly-vinyl texture.

Maybe because I was lucky. I had two years of Home Economics class. I cooked my own whole milk white cheddar sauce for baked macaroni and cheese (the first thing I learned to cook, at 13, stirring a white roux with flour and unsalted butter). Post honeymoon I shaved velvet slivers of golden Parmesan from precious wedges of Italian Reggiano, thanks to two weeks in Italy. And I spoon-stuffed pasta shells with a classic blend of ricotta and shredded mozzarella thanks to an armful of hippie-vegetarian cookbooks.

So, yes, there are days I miss dairy food. Especially in winter.

And thus, began experimenting, inventing ways to make up for the loss of genuine cheesy goodness. The first part was easy. I turned to organic soft tofu for a ricotta substitute (my mainstay for years as a vegetarian goddess). I may as well admit I not only tolerate tofu, I love tofu. And lucky for me, this fermented bean curd stuff loves me, too (I know this is not the case for everyone- and for those of you with a milk allergy AND soy allergy, I truly feel your pain).

For the topping I use a blend of Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I use Udi's gluten-free white sandwich bread processed into crumbs with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and herbs) and almond meal (almond meal has a soft, powdery mouth feel faintly reminiscent of grated cheese) with sea salt for a salty-cheesier taste.

The latest version (created back in West Hollywood) was a winner- and we've been making it ever since. The family loves it. Even the gluten-eaters.

All I know is there is never a scrap left over.

Which as any cook knows, speaks volumes


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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins

Wake up with a warm and lovely carrot muffin.

Happy First Friday of the New Year. Like any first of any season this auspicious occasion makes yours truly want to bake. And with snow on the ground, it has to be muffins- like these tender little bundles of gluten-free joy. So cute and sunny. I love the carroty color. The subtly fragrant texture of coconut flour and quinoa flakes. A hint of cinnamon and ginger. A bite of raisin.

Seriously chai worthy.

And more fiber rich than say, a powdered donut. Or your average gluten-free bagel which is nothing but starch (not that I have anything against starch these days; I am embracing my personal Doris since the news about weight and a longer life). This a treat you can eat without a heavy helping of self-imposed guilt.

Truth is I don't count calories or worry about dieting.

At my age (or any age?) I think worrying can make you gain weight.

Focusing on all the food you can't have. Thinking about how many bites is too much. Cutting back so drastically on caloric intake or carbs that your blood sugar plunges faster than a carnival ride. You don't want to be around me if I'm on a diet- or a low-carb regimen. I am one wildly cranky be-atch. I lose brain cells. I see flashing lights. I tip over. I claw through the refrigerator overwhelmed with the sensation of deprivation.

Until I find the long lost bag of gluten-free pretzels.

Then I'm done.

And done in.

So I don't bother with the details when I need to lose make friends with my yearly winter weight gain. And I may as well confess- ! I don't go sugar-free any more. I eat a cookie. There I said it. Or a muffin. Yup.

Then I go for a walk (if it isn't zero degrees). I try to keep moving. Because the reason I gain a pie roll this time of year has less to do with carbs and fat grams than you think. It's not the morning muffin that gives me my muffin top. It's the hibernation. The paucity of exercise. The bump on the log that I become once the sun sets- at 4:42 PM.

It's hard to burn calories watching reruns of Downton Abbey.

Unless you're on a treadmill.

Which, like cousin Violet, I am most decidedly not.


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Gluten-Free Corn Muffins - A Spicy New Recipe With a Secret Ingredient

Our newest gluten-free muffin recipe- grainy and tender with a hint of spicy.

Come Together

My heart is often tugged in multiple directions. Yanked this way, and pulled that way. Like one long, drunken walk of contradiction. Opposing strategies, assumptions, and intentions collide and churn and grip my emotional little pump like a fist- far more often than I care to admit. For all kinds of reasons. If I was a believer in astrology I would now confess my Gemini imprint. Which allegedly explains my dual nature and divergent tendencies. I have always pursued two paths at once, and wrangled opposites like the celestial twins I supposedly embody. But the only current subscription card I carry is not to the stars above in any connect-the-dot sense, but to the Big Kahuna. The Mother of All. That's right.

Love.

That's why this past year was so tough, Babycakes. 

So much anti-love. So much devoted divisiveness. So much snide finger pointing and blame. So much snark and cynicism. So much collective denial. So much hurt and incredulity for anyone who has a heart. Or tenders a tendency to listen rather than rail. And this year's ending. Its post-hurricane holiday season bruised by glass-eyed shock and long, long heartache. Every mother in the world nested that cold pit of terror darkly inside her deepest, secret place. That place without words. The terror is clean and razor sharp. It beats, too, like a heart.

So I must write about it. In words that sting and stutter in their inadequacy.

I am tired of our culture of death. I am weary of our appetite for power and violence. I am numb from the depth of greed that poses as success.

I tell you this because I must. I have no choice, truth be told. I gotta talk about it. If you visit for the recipes only, or stop by for encouragement and celiac support, you may be raising an eyebrow right about now. You might prefer fun and perky chit chat. Not all this complicated feeling stuff. I know.

Recipes, inspiration and support- it's all here for you. My family and I knit our love of good food and gluten-free support for you. We have for seven years. And will continue to do so in the new year. 

But you should know- goddess status aside- I struggle with this stuff every day- just like you. I know you do, too, because you are here right now. Reading these words.

You care.

You love.

You worry.

You are tired of the superficial, the weak reasoning, the shrugging dull acceptance that this is the way it has to be. Because you know- like I do- it doesn't.

Love can win.

Light can penetrate the darkest hour. Denial can be pinched and prodded awake. Common sense values can be sexy. Golden Rule ethics are still hot. Still small voices can be excavated. And heard.

I am turning to the new year with hope for a better one. Where not one single child is riddled with bullets (is this really too much to hope for?). Where our political process is governed by doing the right thing- and not by money, and its corporate culture of greed. Where guns are not sexy. And our appetites are hungry for knowledge, art, culture and truth.

I know, I know. My Age of Aquarius hippie artist proclivities are showing.

And if I could? I would invite you all over for cocoa and muffins. I would make you a big bowl of mulligatawny and hand you my favorite spoon, and play some Yo Yo Ma and James Taylor on the HiFi. We could watch the deer outside the kitchen window as snowflakes spin their magic just before dark. The recipe I would make would be this new corn muffin recipe spiked with spicy green chiles and golden pumpkin.

A match made in heaven.

Or hatched by a Gemini goddess wrestling with light and dark.

You decide.

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